Piedmont Driving Club’s Executive Pastry Chef says the science of this sweet treat fascinates her.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Natasha Capper, CEPC, has been the Executive Pastry Chef of Piedmont Driving Club for the past 22 years. Some of her greatest accomplishments include competing in the Amoretti National Pastry Team Championship, the National Bread and Pastry Championship, and Pastry Live.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am from Africa.
- If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Francisco Migoya.
- One of my most memorable meals was at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, where Paul Bocuse joined us.
- My go-to drink is Vinho Verde.
- My last meal would be pizza.
- My worst culinary creation was a chocolate beet cake for Valentine’s Day.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be the pay grade of our cooks.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an international tour guide or flight attendant.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was about 13 and started creating menus, cooking, and dressing the table when my parents would entertain.
- You’ll never see cannelés on the menu at my club, because they are so difficult to do consistently well.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was for a single scoop of ice cream, split three ways.
- I love being a club chef because there is a family atmosphere and I am now doing wedding cakes for the some of the same people I made birthday cakes for while they were growing up.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m loving on my fur kids.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was being too submissive.
- I cook savory at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my omama.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was always buy good shoes, and replace them often.
- My favorite celebrity chef is Amaury Guichon, because of his seemingly endless creativity, flawless technical skills and willingness to teach others.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is a toss-up between the mixer and deck oven.
- I want to learn more about ice cream, because the science of frozen desserts is fascinating.
- My favorite ingredient is chocolate. Sugar is the most overrated ingredient. Fresh fruit is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest mint, and I can’t live without bread.
- I don’t like to brag, but I make beautiful and delicious focaccia.
- My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was during my internship, when I did not check to make sure the mixer was on first speed. When I turned it on, it threw a cloud of chocolate cake ingredients all over the Executive Pastry Chef.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be to speak any language.
- My favorite cookbook is Advanced Bread and Pastry by Michel Suas.
- My favorite kitchen hack is lining pie crust for blind baking with coffee filters and rice.
- I am motivated and inspired by students, because they don’t have preconceived limitations.
- The hardest service of my career was the Swan Ball in 1997.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is peppermint ice cream, which we don’t even make in-house.
- I’d lose my job if I took banana pudding off the menu.
- Attention to detail is the most important quality in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is toast.
- When hiring, calling yourself a chef when you don’t even have any industry experience kills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is not putting things back where they belong.
- I will always purchase small tart shells instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “When are you available to start?”
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my mother, because I got my work ethic from her.
- The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was amazing mentors.